Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! I have been enjoying the Olympics again this week. It has been fun to watch the ice skating, ice dancing, and skiing. Just like bats, I think there are some sports that aren’t getting nearly enough attention. For example, curling…what exactly is it? Since the Olympics are almost over, I’m starting to look forward to the 2020 Summer Olympics. They will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan has many different species of bats. They have both insectivore bats and fruit bats. The frosted myotis bat is a vesper bat that only lives in Japan. From its description, I think it must be an adorable little bat, but unfortunately, I was unable to find a picture of the little guy. Its back fur is brown with frosted tips and its stomach is a little lighter. It has velvety soft fur. The frosted myotis is very similar to the Yanbaru whiskered bat and the Burmese whiskered bat. It wasn’t discovered until 1969. This little bat likes to roost in tree hollows and is found in the mountain forests of lower elevations. Since it only lives on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, this bat isn’t very common. It is listed as endangered.

If you would like to read more about this little bat, you can find some information here.

Another bat found in Japan is the Bonin flying fox. Other names for this bat are the Bonin fruit bat and the Ogasawara giant bat. This beautiful bat lives in the subtropical forests of the islands of Chichijima, Hahajima, North Iwo Jima, and South Iwo Jima. Its fur is mostly black and brown and it has some silver-tipped hairs mixed in. The hair around its head, neck, and shoulders is frizzy. They have adorable scroll shaped nostrils. The Bonin fruit bat likes to eat all kinds of fruits and flowers. They also eat ferns and some ornamental plants. When they eat fruit, they suck out the juice and spit out the rest. They might not be the most mannerly of bats, but they sure are cute. This bat is listed as endangered and Japan has passed laws protecting them.

If you’d like to read more about the Bonin flying fox, you can find information here.

I would like to congratulate all the athletes competing in the Olympics. Not everyone won a medal, but each one of them should be very proud. They have all worked very hard and represented their countries well.

I hope you all have a good week.